NEO the home robot: preorders open for 1X’s humanoid helper, with first deliveries slated for 2026

The NEO home robot—a bipedal, soft-shelled humanoid from robotics company 1X—is officially taking orders, positioning itself as a first wave of consumer-facing household robots that can tidy, fetch, and assist via voice or phone. The launch window sets priority deliveries for 2026 in the United States, with a broader roll-out to follow.

Price, preorder options, and ship timing

• Early Access (ownership): $20,000 one-time price, which includes priority delivery in 2026, premium support, and a three-year warranty. A $200 refundable deposit secures a place in line.

• Subscription (standard): $499 per month, shipped later than Early Access units.

• Colors: Multiple finishes (tan/gray/dark shades) that read more “home appliance” than lab prototype.

The company is framing NEO as a long-term investment in everyday help rather than a novelty, with financing/subscription intended to lower the barrier for early adopters.

What the NEO humanoid robot can do on day one

NEO’s pitch is broad household utility with safety and approachability at the forefront:

• Chores & fetching: Light tidying, sorting, loading/unloading tasks, and object retrieval within mapped rooms.

• Voice & app control: A conversational Companion interface lets you speak naturally; a mobile app schedules chores, checks status, and enables remote supervision.

• Self-charge: When the battery dips, NEO docks and plugs itself in—no user handling required.

• Soft body design: A knit-like external “sweater” and compliant padding wrap a tendon-drive mechanism, reducing the risk of hard-edge contact in close quarters.

• Human-in-the-loop learning: Early deployments include teleoperation and supervised autonomy so the robot can learn workflows and safely expand skills over time.

Specs and design notes (what’s publicly shared)

• Form factor: Humanoid, roughly 1.6–1.7 m tall, engineered for human-scale homes (doorways, countertops, switches).

• Locomotion: Tendon-driven joints with high-torque motors tuned for smooth starts/stops in tight spaces.

• Sensing: Vision and proprioception for navigation, with safety-first speed limits around people and pets.

• Safety stance: Soft exterior, controlled force application, and conservative motion planning to manage risk in domestic environments.

What makes NEO different from other home robots

Where past home robots were single-purpose (think vacuums), NEO is pitched as a generalist: the same mobile platform can carry laundry, clear a coffee table, or bring a water bottle. The humanoid shape isn’t just for spectacle; it reaches human-designed infrastructure—shelves, drawers, light switches—without remodeling your home. The soft-body aesthetic and sweater-like skin are deliberate, aiming to make an imposing machine feel less industrial in living spaces.

Reality check: capabilities, privacy, and expectations

NEO arrives amid heavy hype for humanoid assistants—and healthy skepticism. Three practical caveats for early buyers:

1. Supervised autonomy at launch: Expect a mix of on-device intelligence and teleoperator assistance as the robot learns your layout and routines. It’s a bridge to full autonomy, not a magic switch.

2. Data & privacy: Remote assistance implies network connectivity and cameras/mics in the loop. Buyers should review opt-in controls, data retention, and local-only modes before handing the robot the keys to the living room.

3. Task scope: NEO is aimed at light household workflows, not heavy lifting or hazardous chores. Think “helpful extra set of hands,” not a replacement for every task.

Use cases 1X is leaning into

• Daily resets: Gathering stray items, organizing counters, and prepping spaces before/after work.

• Assistance & access: Bringing items to users with mobility challenges, answering voice requests from another room.

• Routine chores: Transporting laundry, staging recycling, unloading light groceries, and door-to-drawer runs.

Where NEO fits in the humanoid race

NEO’s home-first focus contrasts with rivals targeting factories and warehouses before stepping into the living room. The bet is that learning from messy, real homes—with diverse objects and layouts—will accelerate general skills. The risk: consumers have little tolerance for beta-grade behavior. That’s why the roadmap emphasizes gradual capability unlocks via supervised learning, regular software updates, and service support.

Should you buy the NEO home robot now?

Early adopters who value tech vanguard status—and who are comfortable with supervised autonomy, evolving features, and premium pricing—will find NEO’s proposition clearest. For everyone else, the subscription tier or waiting for the post-2026 wave may make more sense as reliability, task libraries, and privacy tooling mature.

Quick answers people are searching

• “NEO the home robot price?” $20,000 Early Access; $499/month subscription later.

• “When does the 1X NEO ship?” Priority units target 2026 in the U.S., with wider availability after.

• “Is NEO fully autonomous?” Not yet; human-in-the-loop support is part of early deployments.

• “What can NEO actually do?” Light chores, fetching, simple organizing, voice-driven assistance, and routine household runs—expanding over time.

The 1X NEO humanoid robot moves the “robot butler” idea from sizzle reel to bookable product. It won’t conquer every chore out of the box, but if the supervised-learning path pays off, NEO could mark the moment when multi-skill robots began to feel at home—literally.